The Treasury of Knowledge, Book 8, Part 4: Esoteric Instructions

by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye

Jamgon Kongtrul's Treasury of Knowledge in ten volumes is a unique encyclopedic masterpiece embodying the entire range of Buddhist teachings as they were presented in Tibet. Tibetan Buddhist teachers expected their students to study Buddhist philosophical texts as well as practicing reflection and meditation; present-day students have also realized that awakening has its source in study as well as in reflection and practice. This volume, Esoteric Instructions, deals with meditation, specifically tantric meditation. Esoteric Instructions is a collection of intimate records of personal teaching by masters. They simplify tantric meditations by providing pertinent examples and very personal and helpful hints to disciples based on the masters's own experience. Although originally oral in nature, they have been codified and passed down thorough specific lineages from teacher to student.

Genres: Buddhism

528 pages, Hardcover

First published July 25, 2003

About the author

The first Jamgon Kongtrul, Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thayé (འཇམ་མགོན་ཀོང་སྤྲུལ་བློ་གྲོས་མཐའ་ཡས་ 'jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas), was one of the preeminent scholars in 19th century Tibet, often referred to as Jamgon Kongtrul the Great. The name Kongtrul is a contraction of Kongpo Bamtang Tulku, of whom he was held to be an incarnation. He also was a tertön, or "revealer of Dharma treasures," and in that capacity was given the name Pema Garwang Chimé Yudrung Lingpa.

He was also a respected physician and diplomat. He is credited as one of the founders of the Rimé (རིས་མེད་ ris-med "unbiased" or non-sectarian) movement of Tibetan Buddhism, and he compiled what is known as the Five Great Treasuries.

Reviews

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written by one of the great masters of the rime movement to collect and catalogue as many tibetan buddhist lineages as possible, this is part of the "last great tibetan encyclopedia". this volume deals in summary with tantric practices of many traditions.